Wednesday, 11 December 2013

Savour the Season

This is a shot of 2012's blooms on the Christmas cactus I inherited from my husband's grandmother's house ... many years ago. It blooms when it has a mind to, regardless of the 12 hour of daylight rule. This year, it had already finished blooming in November. My other cactus, also a gift, bloomed late in October.

I need to have a serious discussion with these plants about appropriate timing. Not that they will pay any more attention than the merchants, both local and national, who start the Christmas displays about the same time my plants are setting buds. And, while I have my Grinch hat on, I wonder if there is any way we can persuade our friends south of the border to keep 'Black Friday' at home. As far as I can see, it is just another way to sneak Christmas profit in early.

On a less grumpy note, I have had a much easier time with the Christmas shopping this year, without resorting to doing it all on line. Elder daughter and partner are in Brazil for a two week research project, and I am in Ottawa in locum parenti with the grandkid. This means that I can drop her at school and wheel off to the mall of choice early in the morning, get a premium parking spot, have a leisurely coffee break and be home with the loot before the noon traffic jams. Bliss! The boot of the car is now filled with bags containing almost all my list and I still have the rest of the week to knit up any loose ends.

Which brings me to the knitting. Miss G decided that she wanted to knit her mother a lovely scarf for Christmas. ( i am pretty sure the ED does not read my blog.) The sweet child has never knit before. So, we picked out some very fat wool and size 10 needles, Grama cast on and she set to it. She now has over 18" done, with few errors, and we just might make it, even if we have to do the finishing locked into the YD's spare bedroom on Christmas Eve. Grama has equipped her with a knitting bag, tape measure and darning needles. The tape measure is getting a lot of use. She has also sewn a tie for her father, with some eclat, doing all the finish hand stitching solo. And threading her own needle! No grandmother could ask for better than that.

It's a long stint to do in the city, however. It is a vey good thing that JG is a self-sufficient guy who happily cooks for himself and that Aunt YD is doing the weekend minding so that I get a night or two in my own bed. Miss G is being very brave and cheerful, although missing her parents from time to time. The cat has taken to sleeping with her to keep her spirits up. And Miss G and her aunt have volunteered to put up my Christmas tree this weekend.

I agree that the scarf is a wonderful gift idea. And how wonderful that Miss G. is learning some new skills, to boot!

Good for you getting so much of your holiday shopping done! I have barely touched the Christmas shopping yet. I have a big deadline for a conference coming up on Sunday, and I don't have a lot of time or mental energy to spare. Happily, my kids are easy to shop for, and the rest of the family has alreadly largely given up on getting timely (or sometimes any) gifts from me.

Oh, no. As someone who has single-handedly done more for the Ontario economy and wine industry, please be kind and exempt me from your Northern Dismay at American consumers. I have nothing but dismay and disdain in my own heart for the ones who left the Family Dinner on Thanksgiving this year to go shopping instead, and then they made a Weekend of it by returning to the crowds on so-called Black Friday to buy more and more and MORE. I started my Christmas shopping In Earnest yesterday, and like you, loved taking advantage of mornings with few crowds and decent parking.

Now, about knitting--sigh, sigh, SIGH! I decided to try it again after a geological age's hiatus. Let's just say that your little buddy has cruelly bested me.